The influence of classical music on figure skating

[Maofan7]

When assessing the impact of classical music on figure skating, I recall a couple of years ago that Anthony Tommasini, the classical music critic of the New York Times, produced a list of the 10 greatest classical music composers in history. It was a controversial list, but it provides a useful starting point by virtue of the fact that figure skating programs have been developed and choreographed around many of the great works of all of the great composers on the list, which only goes to highlight the enormous influence that classical music has had on it

Here are some links to the great works and the figure skating programs which they have inspired:-

1. Johann Sebastian Bach

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Air from Suite No. 3

Original Music - Toccata, Original Music - Air

Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko - 1991/92 Free Dance (1992 Olympics)


2. Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 5

Original Music

Evgeni Plushenko - 2004 World Championships - Exhibition

Symphony No. 9

Original Music

Brian Joubert - 2010/11 Free Program (2011 World Championships)

Moonlight Sonata (Piano Sonata No. 14)

Original Music

Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov - 1993/94 Free Program (1994 Olympics)

3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Marriage of Figaro

Original Opera

Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov - 1987/88 Free Program (1988 Olympics)

Fantasia No. 3

Original Music

Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin - Challenge of champions 1995

4. Franz Schubert

Ave Maria

Original Music

Caroline Zhang - 2007/08 & 2008/09 Free Program (2009 U.S. Nationals)

Serenade

Original Music

Irina Slutskaya - 2001/02 Short Program (2002 Olympics)

5. Claude Debussy

Clair de lune

Original Music

Mao Asada 2008/09 Short Program (2009 World Team Trophy)

6. Igor Stravinsky

The Firebird

Original Music

Tatsuki Machida - 2012/13 Free Program (2012 Cup of China)

7. Johannes Brahms

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

Original Music

Kevin Reynolds - 2007/08 Free Program (2008 Canadian Nationals)

8. Giuseppe Verdi

La Traviata

Original Opera

Irina Slutskaya - 2002/03 Free Program (2003 European Championships)

Stéphane Lambiel - 2009/10 Free Program (2010 European Championships)

9. Richard Wagner

Tristan und Isolde

Original Opera - (Aria: Liebestod)

Jamie Salé & David Pelletier - 2000/01 Free Program (2001 World Championships)

10. Béla Bartók

The Miraculous Mandarin

Original Music

Michelle Kwan - 2000/01 Free Program (2001 GPF)

So, what are your favourite classical music inspired figure skating programs (regardless of whether the piece of music was created by a composer on the list or not)? If you can, please provide YouTube links to them

[IceAlisa]

Sasha Cohen Moonlight Sonata Show program


Rachmaninov Elegie Morceaux De Fantasie Original <---not the best interpretation IMO, this guy seems to be playing under the influence of Valium. Where's the Rachmaninov drama ?

Patrick Chan Elegie Exhibition


Saint Saens The Swan Original

Johnny Weir 2006 Swan SP

[lulu]

The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

Usova & Zhulin 1992 FD

Surya Bonaly 1993 LP

Stephane Lambiel 2006 LP

[falling_dance]

Three of them, anyway...

Mishkutenok and Dmitriev, Liebestraum

Carolina Kostner, Bach and Vivaldi selections

Jeremy Abbott, Symphony No. 3 (Saint-Saëns)

[os168]

What a crazy list, no Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov? Bartok?! Verdi? While I agree with Bach should listed as 1st... it is a travesty these 2 greats weren't even featured in the top 10 consider their influential work that made European classics such a universal world wide phenomenon instead of confined to the elitist circles. And I smell politics from this list.

Frankly, list like this just makes London so much more cooler than New York. At least we have Classic FM voted by the people as well the critics. (Yes there are biases, but then at least we acknowledge this.)

http://www.classicfm.com/hall-of-fame/

Late Romantics generally have better dramatics and theatrics for performance arts in bridging the contemporary with the old, so no wonder Saint-Saëns is so well liked in figure skating. It is impossible not to mention him without Yuna kim's Danse Macabre. Where the rarity of musicality is matched by athleticism virtuosity in equal measures. Where choreography postures and freeze in motion were matched by heart stopping expressions and music realisation. As the violins strings heightens the emotion, the skater continues to bewitching the audience with heart stirring virtuosity beyond which the music notes dictate. It is style matched by substance, a rhythmic fantasy fully realized to one of the most hauntingly lyrical gothic romantic fantasy work; consist of speed, refinement, intensified lyricism that ups the ante at every phrase and pause. A coolness, freedom in the face of jeopardy, spectacular and supernatural personified, display of athleticism for ladies figure skating that is thoroughly modern and unbashingly superb.

If skeletons could blush, you'd see a long row of them at the front row doing the celebration macabre dance right along with the skater as she take the final bows.

OTOH, I am surprised there isn't a figure skating music database like IMDB, that lists all the skaters and their choice of music. Including characteristic of the music. Maybe with a poll to vote for how successful the realisation of the music is by the skater.

[Zemgirl]

When assessing the impact of classical music on figure skating, I recall a couple of years ago that Anthony Tommasini, the classical music critic of the New York Times, produced a list of the 10 greatest classical music composers in history. It was a controversial list, but it provides a useful starting point by virtue of the fact that figure skating programs have been developed and choreographed around many of the great works of all of the great composers on the list, which only goes to highlight the enormous influence that classical music has had on it

...

So, what are your favourite classical music inspired figure skating programs (regardless of whether the piece of music was created by a composer on the list or not)? If you can, please provide YouTube links to them

Well, this is a bit more challenging than the soundtrack thread, since each of these composers left behind a large body of work. A few more skaters and programs that were not mentioned:

Bach
I'm pretty sure that there are a number of other skaters who skated to Toccata and Fugue, including Tomas Verner.

Beethoven
Yannick Ponsero skated to some kind of modern version of Symphony no. 5 in a very ugly costume.

Mozart
Carolina Kostner skated to selections from Concerto no. 23 this past season.

Schubert
I can't even remember all the people who skated to Ave Maria.

Debussy
Janet Lynn and Carolina Kostner both skated memorable programs to Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.

Kavaguti/Smirnov did a beautiful Clair de Lune.

Stravinsky
Everyone and their sister has skated to Firebird.

Verdi
Javier Fernandez has skated to Rigoletto and other Verdi compositions.

Since I've already mentioned her, Kostner has also had some marvelous classical music programs, such as Pachelbel's Canon, Dumky Trio, and her Shostakovich SP last season. But otherwise, so many skaters have done really good programs to classical music that I don't even know where to start. Other than to say that this would not have been my top ten list

[lala]

Plushenko
Moonlight Sonata SP 2004 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlGVCUwzb7I

Adagio SP 2003 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1H3_l6TTsk

[gkelly]

Bach
I'm pretty sure that there are a number of other skaters who skated to Toccata and Fugue, including Tomas Verner.

Krisztina Czako 1995

Navka/Morozov 1998

Aleksei Urmanov 1999

[IceAlisa]

I have never been a big fan of Shostakovich or Kostner but with her SP last season, Carolina had made me a huge fan of her skating and inspired me to put the music on my SD card. I am starting to get Shostakovich thanks to her artistry--she "explained" him to me.

[lulu]

I have never been a big fan of Shostakovich or Kostner but with her SP last season, Carolina had made me a huge fan of her skating and inspired me to put the music on my SD card. I am starting to get Shostakovich thanks to her artistry--she "explained" him to me.

Beautiful program

[lala]

Han Yan 2012/2013 LP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsWIJFsggds


Aram Khachaturian - Masquerade: Waltz

[Vash01]

Definitely a controversial list, IMO. No Chopin? No Rachmaninoff? No Tchaikovsky? (that's sacrilege, IMO)

I too like Shostakovich- Brian Orser's LP in 1988 worlds, in particular.

Are they looking at only European composers? - but Chopin would be among them.

I can't add links right now; got to go back to work, but here are a few of mine:

For Ave Maria, I would definitely include T&M's SP in 2005, Annenko-Sretenski's pro and Oksana Baiul's exhibition. Also Krylova-Ovssianikov had a wonderful pro routine to this. Shishkova-Naumov skated a beautiful SP to Ave Maria around 1995 or 1996.

Usova-Zhulin's skate to Mozart is one of my all time favorite program and music.

For Brahms I would add Brasseur & Eisler's SP at the 1994 Olympics- one of the few times I enjoyed their skating as eligible skaters.

[Vash01]

Han Yan 2012/2013 LP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsWIJFsggds


Aram Khachaturian - Masquerade: Waltz

My most favorite Masquerade waltz is by Krylova-Ovssianikov

Kliimova-Ponomarenko's (pro) was pretty good too. I did not care for Mao Asada's use of this music; I prefer softer music for her.

[briancoogaert]

Debussy
Janet Lynn and Carolina Kostner both skated memorable programs to Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.

Kavaguti/Smirnov did a beautiful Clair de Lune.

Clair de Lune :
Joshua Farris
Lu Chen

Another Debussy !
Reverie x1000

[IceAlisa]

Definitely a controversial list, IMO. No Chopin? No Rachmaninoff? No Tchaikovsky? (that's sacrilege, IMO)

Excuse me, I listed Rachmaninov's Elegie.

As for Chopin, this FD by Carron/Jost is a gorgeous interpretation of the nocturne. The lift at 1:05 takes my breath away.

Here's Swan Lake for you. Ashley Wanger 2012 Nats Free.

Also, Saint Saens Samson and Delilah, Ashley Wagner Free skate TEB 2012

[falling_dance]

Two more Rach programs that were good:

Chen Lu, Piano Concerto No. 2

and

Michelle Kwan, Piano Trio No. 2 and Piano Concerto No. 3

[shine]

Brahms and Mozart are both is ranked behind Beethoven and Brahms is only in 7th?? Really?

[Vash01]

I have a tough time with Wagner and Bartok ranked ahead of so many well known composers.

[Vash01]

Excuse me, I listed Rachmaninov's Elegie.

As for Chopin, this FD by Carron/Jost is a gorgeous interpretation of the nocturne. The lift at 1:05 takes my breath away.

Here's Swan Lake for you. Ashley Wanger 2012 Nats Free.

Also, Saint Saens Samson and Delilah, Ashley Wagner Free skate TEB 2012

I was not referring to you. My comment was about the rankings posted in the original post.

Rachmaninoff is not on that list.

My favorite 'Elegy by Rach' skating performances are: 1) B&S at 1998 worlds ex, and 2)Katia at a pro competition after Sergei's passing.

[Katarzyna]

Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko - 1991/92 Free Dance (1992 Olympics)

Remember watching this at the Olympics in '92 as if it had been yesterday!

The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi
Usova & Zhulin 1992 FD

This was the first one which came into my mind as having to be added. Ice dance in the early 90-ies!

Thank you all for posting great clips bringing up precious memories!

Here are some additional programmes for already listed composers I particularly like:

Ave Maria:
Fumie Suguri: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp5tI3NkqXM (WC 2002 SP)
I loved this one and still recall that many ladies had great SPs that year!

Saint Saens, Samson and Delilah:
Irina Slutskaya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qql51Zj9e_E (2003 Hallmark)
Elena Sokolova: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKmM7iGfMvw (WC 2003, SP)

Rachmaninov:
Sasha Abt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86g-lZbNauU (EC 2002, LP)
Adding the mandatory Sasha wuzrobbed

More Swan Lake:
Oksana Bajul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GDdHQmcK7g (OG 1994, SP)
Ilia Klimkin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLVGHiXtwbQ (EC 2004, SP)
Volosozhar / Trankov: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG64wuOb_AE (WC 2012, LP)